Self-sealing vault ob beceftaclet



w. HAASE Re. 20,816

' SELF SEALING VAULT 0R RECEPTACLE I Original Fil ed Nov. 14. 1927Reisaued Aug. 2,

OFFlCE nus sear-sumo vsour on nncsrmcm Wilbert w. Haase, rm

Wilbert W. Haase 00., poration of Illinois Original No.

Park. 111., alsignor to' Forest Park, lll., a cor- 1.122.144, dated Julyso, 1929, Serial No. 233,113, November 14, 1927. for reissue March 21,1938, Serial N Application 198,225

a Claim. (Cl. lit-7) This invention relates to that class ofself-sealing ,vaults or receptacles comprising a box body, and a covermember, one of said members having a marsinal tongue, and the other ofsaid mem l bers having a grooved marginal portion adapted to admit andengagesuch tongue, and to contain a filler of plastic material, ormaterials heated and introduced into 'the groove in a liquid andadhesive condition, and having a skin or covering 10 spread over orintegral with the illler material, and the outer suriace of whichcovering when dried in relatively harder than the filler material withinthe groove and over the surface of which such covering is adapted toextend so as to tend I to or temporarily hold the adhesive fillermaterial in place within-the groove, and until suit-' ably conditionedby cooling .and drying out to permit the spreading thereof between thegrooved margin of the box cover and the tongue of the box body orreceptacle upon the application of pressure incident to the entry oi thetongue'into the'groove of the cover upon amembly and due to the weightof the cover.

, The principal object of the invention is to pro- 25 vide a simple,economical and eillcient self-sealing vault or receptacle comprising abox body member having a tongue in its upper margin, and a cover memberhaving a groove adapted to admit such-tongue, and adapted to contain ailller, and

80 to be hermetically sealed by the spreading of such filler between themargins; the tongue being formed on the box body so that a minimum oiilatsurfaces will be formed upon which pebbles,

v dirt and other ior'eign matter might collect to as interfere with theproper sealing of the vault and materials may collect.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device in whichabutting horizontal sur- 40 faces are reduced to a'minimum or in whichthe contour of some of the normally abutting surface is interrupted orvaried so that expanding or gradually widening openings will be formedbetween the cover and body adjacent the tongue 45 upon the assembly ofthe cover, into which some of the sealing material may be discharged ormay ilow to. produce a wash over such remaining relatively flat-surfacesas may be required to provide proper limiting stops, for removingobstructing 50 materials such as may collect thereon and to provide asuitable discharge channel for such mate-' rials.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from thefollowing description and claims. as and from an inspection oi' theaccompanying drawing, which is made a part of this specification.

The invention consists in the features, combinations, and details of-const ruction herein described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:--

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a vault comprising a box body andcover formed of concrete, or equivalent material, showing said cover'and box body in transverse vertical section and sepa- 10 rated, as theywould appear before placing the cover upon and in position to cover andclose the box body, and before causing the normally plastic fillermaterial to spread and hermetically seal the tongued and. groovedmargins of the cover and box body;

' Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in vertical section showing themarginal portions, including the grooved'bottom margin,; and tongue andtop margin of the cover and box body respectively, as they would appearbefore placing the cover in position upon the box' body,"

Fig. 3 is a similar view in detail, in vertical section, of the partsshown in Fig. 2, as they would appear with the cover in place upon andin position to close the box body, and with the normally plastic fillermaterial spread between and acting to hermetically seal the unitedmargins of the cover and box body:

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view in vertical section showing thegrooved bottom margin of the cover provided with a illler of asphaltumspread into and in direct adhesive contact with the walls of the groove,and with the outer surface of the v filler material sumciently hardenedby cooling and 3i; to eliminate recesses or pockets in which such Idrying, to render the illler the groove; and' Fig. 5 is a similarview'of a modification showself-sustaining within lng means for coveringthe normally plastic filler material within the groove. I 40 Inconstructing a vault, or receptacle, in accordance withmy invention andimprovements, I provide a boxbody or main vault body member i,comprising side walls I, end walls 3, and bottom 4, and a vault cover I.

The vault or box body is formed of or comprises by preference, concrete,containing sand or hydraulic Portland cement intermixed insuitable-proportions, and formed or molded into the desired shape anddimensions while in a plastic 50 condition. and then" allowed to set anddry and harden. f

The cover member I comp ses a top wall or main cover portion I, whichis, by preference, arched, and provided with grooved bottom side It andend margins or upright walls 1 which extend entirely around the bottomor rim of the cover.

The bottom side marginal portions or side walls of the'cover are inparallel relation to and adapted to be secured inabutting engagementwith the top margins of the side walls 2 of the box body; and the bottomend walls, or bottom end margins and upright end wall portions of thecover are in parallel relation to and adapted to be secured in abuttingengagement with the upper margins of the limit stop portions of thecorresponding upright end walls 1 of the box body.

Zlihe cover member 5 is provided with a bottom marginal groove 1, whichis, by preference, substantially in the form of an inverted V, incrosssection and extends entirely around the bottom margin or rim of thecover, or, in other words,

along the bottom edge of the upright side and end wallsorbottom'marginal portions 1 of the to extend into and ininterlappingengagement with the bottom groove 8 in the bottom margin of the cover.

The bottom marginal groove l in the cover is, by preference, tapered, orapproximately V- shaped in cross-section, as a ready suggested, and islocated between inner and outer marginal wall portions III and H; andthe endless upwardly projecting marginal tongue 9 on the upper margin orrim of the box body member is also, by preference, similarly tapered,and somewhat wider at its base than at its upper edge, and adapted toflt within the groove snugly, and sumciently close to thewalls of thegroove to hold the cover accurately in proper fitting engagement withthe box body, but with sufflcient space between the tongue and theadjacent walls of the groove to admit and, permit the proper spreadingof suitable filler and sealing material between the tongue and groove.

A quantity of suitable filler and sealing material l2, which, bypreference, consists of or comprises asphaltum, or a suitablecomposition containing asphaltum or equivalent water-proof sealingmaterial, is introduced into the marginal groove 8 in the cover, whilesaid flller or sealing material is in a liquid adhesive condition, andadapted to adhere tightly to the concrete which forms" the walls of thegroove, as well as to the tongue 8 on the top margin of the box body,-when said tongue is introduced into the groove,

so as to form a strong water-proof sealed connection between the groovedmarginal portion or rim of the cover, and the tongue and top margin orrim of the box body, when the cover is placed upon and in position toclose the latter.

For this purpose, I prefer to employ asphalt, or a bituminous compoundor composition containin asphalt, which is introduced into the openbottcmmarginal groove or slot I in the bottom rim or margin of thecover, in a heated condition.

and while sufliciently liquid to tightly adhere to theconcretewallsoftheslotorgroove. A sumcient quantity of this bituminous filler and sealingmaterial is thus introduced into the groove I while the cover i isinverted, to partially, and. by preference, almost. entirely flll thegroove.

and the upwardly projecting flange or or may consist of hydrauliccement, or composition containing bituminous cementitious material orasphalt, or other suitable adhesive material spread upon and in adhesivecontact with the inner surfaces of the inner flange Iliandouter flange lI which form the opposite side walls of the groove or recess 8, and thedepending marginal rim or recessed depending marginal flange of thecover member. The flller ii of bituminousor asphaltic material in.aliquid condition maythen be introduced into the recess or groove 8, andafter cooling dries on the external surface to formla relatively hardskin I! covering the inclo'sedmore plastic material. An idealconsistency of; the plastic material is such that it will be plasticonly under pressure or when pressure is applied and when heated sothatit may be applied after,

being heated to a liquid state and so that after cooling it will flowonly under pressure due to the weight of the cover upon assembly thereofto the box.

I have found in practice, however, that, by pro viding a bituminous orasphaltic material or com-' position I! of suitable normally plasticadhesive consistency, and introducing it into the groove 8 while warmand in the manner already described,

but without first applying a coating ll of adhesive material to theconcrete wallsof the groove, and then allowing the filler or bituminouscomposition I! to dry and harden at its outer exposed surface, so as to'form an outer coating or covering l5 which is integral with the fillerl2 thus formed, the filler I! with its integral outer or bottom exposedrelatively strong and hardened, but sufllciently fragile coating or skincovering ii in adhesive contact with the walls of said groove, isadapted to sustain itself within the groove even when relatively softfilling ma-' t'erial is used and when the cover- 5 is in uprightposition, and that the outer integral skin or covering l5, thus formed,is adapted to be automatically broken by the introduction of the tongue9, and will permit the flller l2 to automatically spread and seal theconnection between the cover and box body as already described. (SeeFig. 4.)

In Fig. 5 isshown a grooved bottom wall or rim 1 of a cover 5,containing a flller of bituminous or asphaltic material I2 in a normallyplastic adhesive condition, as last-above described in connection withFig. 4, but with a modifled form of covering it, of paper, or othersuitable flbrous or similar sheet material, covering the outer surfaceof the filler i2 and adhesively secured in engagement with the walls ofthe groove,

the device shown in Figs. 1, 2

said covering of sheet material I, beingsufllcient-- lystrong to retainthe flller within and in adhesive engagement with the walls of thegroove, and sufllciently fragile to be. automatically broken, and topermit'the spreading of the flller and sealing material I! in adhesivehermetically sealed engagement with the recessed and flangedmarginalportion of the cover and the flanged upper rim of the box body when thecover is in place,

and the vault is closed. 7 Y

From the foregoing it will be readily understoodthat by having thebottom recess or groove 8 and the plastic material in the flanged cover,tonsue I some on the upper margin ori 'rim of the box-body, the

normally plastic adhesive material or cement contained in said groove orrecess will be shielded and protected when the cover is off, and alsoduring the operation of lowering and placing the cover upon and inposition to close the vault. Since the recess opens downwardly no trapsor pockets will be formedin which pebbles and foreign particles ofmaterial such as may interfere with the proper; sealing of the vault cancollect.

To pron 'le limiting stops for limiting the downward movement of thecover the wall 2 of the box is thicker tha. the base of the tongue sothat substantially horizontal surface portions II are formed at bothsides of the tongue, either one or both of which may function as alimiting stop and in accordance with my invention the area of onesurface portion I1 is reduced at least about the outside of the tongue 9to the minimum required for stops and so that the area upon whichpebbles and foreign materials may collect is reduced to a minimum. Thisis accomplished by varying the contour of the surface I! interruptedlyor by chamfering orbeveling the outer margin of the top rim of thebox-body, so as to provide an upper marginal surface portion or seriesof beveled mar ginal surface portions I8 which extend downward andoutward at an incline outside of the flange 9 and from the base of saidflange to the outer face of the upright wall of the box-body beneath theouter flange ll of the cover on all sides of the cover. And marginalshoulders l9 are formed on and integral with the upper beveled margin orrim of the box-body. Said shoulders project outward from the upperextremity of the beveled surface portions I8 and beneath the outerdepending flange ll of the cover, for limiting the downward movement ofthe cover relatively to the box-body, particularly during the operationof lowering the cover into position to close the vault.

Any foreign subst'ances which may fall upon the upper flanged rim of thebox-body will thus be thrown oil or permitted to escape from between themarginal flange of the cover and the rim of the box-body or vaultv Inoperation, the cover, having the bottom marginal cement-containinggroove normally open downward on the under side of the cover, is

- placed over the box-body member. and its contents, with said bottomcement-containing groove of the cover in position to receive theupwardly projecting marginal tongue or flange on the upper rim of thebox-body within said groove, and upon the entry of the tongue 9 into thegroove and the application of the weight of the cover the plasticsealing material is squeezed from the groove and molded about the tongue8- due to the applied weight of the cover and until the limit stopsformed of the surface I! prevent further downward movement of the coverat which time the tongue and groove portions of the box and the coverare separated only by a thin fllm of the sealing material which isintimately engaged with the surfaces of both and forms a water proofseal.

As above mentioned the beveled marginal portions II of the surface I!cooperate with the adlodged from obstructing positions or eliminated.

' I claim:

1. In a vault, the combination of a box-body, a

cover having a bottom recess on its under side adapted to contain cementfor securing the cover in hermetically sealed engagement with theboxbody, a depending marginal flange on said cover and forming an outerside wall of said recess, and

an upwardly projecting marginal flange on the upper rim of the box-bodyand adapted to extend into said recess and inside of and in lappedrelation to the depending marginal flange on the cover, said box-bodyhaving a beveled marginal surface portion extending downward and outwardat an incline beneath said depending marginal flange on said cover andadapted to permit the escape oi foreign substances from between themargins of the cover and box-body. 2. In a vault, the combination of acover having aibottom recess on its under side adapted to contain cementfor securing the cover in hermeti cally sealed engagement with thebox-body, a depending marginal flange on' said cover and forming sidewalls of said recess, a box-body having an upwardly projecting marginalflange adapted to extend into said recess and inside of and in lappedrelation to said depending marginal flange on said cover, said box-bodyhaving a beveled upper marginal surface portion extending downward andoutward at an incline beneath said marginal flange on said cover, andmarginal vshoulders on the rim of the box-body and projecting beneaththe bottom margin of said depending marginal flange on said cover, forlimiting the downward movement or the cover relatively to the top marginof the box-body.

3. In a vault, the combination of a box-body, a cover having a bottomrecess on its under side adapted to contain cement for securing thecover in hermetically sealed engagement'with the boxbody, a dependingmarginal flange on said cover and forming an outer side wall of saidrecess, and an upwardly projecting marginal flange on the upper rim ofthe box-body and adapted to extend into said recess and inside of and inlapped relation, to the depending marginal flange on the.

by said cover may flow upon assembly as and for the purpose described.

WILBERT W.'HAABE.

